Joan Malcolm-Albee’10
Joan Malcolm-Albee, Biomedical Engineer
Q: How did you know about The Jackson Laboratory as a possible place to work?
A: I worked on a whale-watching boat in Bar Harbor the summer after my freshman year at the University of Maine. Every day we’d pass Highseas [The Jackson Laboratory’s seaside mansion], and the guide would talk a little about the Lab. When I went back to school I asked questions and kept my eyes open. I was fortunate to get an internship, then do my senior project here.
Q: What’s your most interesting project right now?
A: I have a lot on my plate now, but soon I’ll be spending a lot of time developing a method for improving in vitro fertilization. The tools of IVF have changed little since IVF was first developed about 40 years ago, and what we want to do is take a labor- and equipment-intensive process and create a “set it and forget it” system. I can see our work having a significant impact throughout the research community. It will make IVF not only easier and more efficient but more effective as well.
Q: You’re in a specialized field. What were your career goals heading into college?
A: I grew up in Gardiner, Maine, and our family doctor inspired me to go into medicine—family practice. But when I went to the University of Maine I wanted to incorporate math with the biology, and that’s how I came to biomedical engineering.
Q: Do you like living in the area?
A: I dreamed of living here after my first summer. I feel extremely fortunate to have gotten such a terrific, challenging job in my field in Bar Harbor. Outside of work I love outdoor activities, and you can’t beat having Acadia National Park right outside your door.
Q: So you plan to stay for a while?
A: My work here has given me the confidence to pursue a Ph.D. in a biomedical engineering program, so I expect I’ll have to leave at some point. But my husband has a local family business and ultimately we want to return here.